February 23, 2012
Legends, Lore and Literature: Storytelling in the South
"Readin', Ritin' and Rejoicin'!" That's what the "Three R's" stand for in Natchez, Miss.
So says Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration founder and co-chairman Carolyn Vance Smith of Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Natchez. "Since it began in 1990, the Celebration has attracted hundreds — sometimes thousands — of people each year," Smith said. "All of them love to read and rejoice over books."
The late Reynolds Price, longtime Duke University author and scholar, once said, "A need to hear and tell stories is essential to the species Homo sapiens, second in necessity, apparently, after nourishment and before love and shelter." Whether stories take the form of tall tales, folk tales, fairy tales, ghost stories, myths, fables, legends, lore, oral literature, personal narratives, creative narratives, history or political commentary, they have been around forever, pre-dating the written word. Stories appear everywhere: in writing, music, drama, sculpture, photography, paintings, film, symbols, dancing, sports, nature, politics, business and everyday conversation.
The 2012 conference speakers are some of the best storytellers in the South, Smith said. “From ancient Indian legends and worldwide parables to recent sensational crimes, oral histories of the 2011 Mississippi River Flood and notable literary works, conference speakers will present a wide variety of stories,” she said.
Kicking off the conference the evening of Feb. 23 is Lewis Lord, formerly of Natchez and now of Falls Church, VA. A journalist and historian with United Press International and U.S. News & World Report, Lord has published works that include magazine cover stories and numerous books, including Annual Editions: American History. His program is called “Supper Table Stories.”
Program titles and speakers on Feb. 24 include:
“Legends in Red, White and Black” by George E. Lankford, Lyon College, Batesville, AR., on legends and folklore among native American Indians, white settlers and African-American slaves.
“Parables about People from around the World” by Terrence Roberts, Meridian, MS.., a master storyteller and jail/griot.
“The Faulkners I Knew: William Faulkner and His Niece, Dean Faulkner Wells” by Lawrence “Larry” Wells, owner of Yoknapatawpha Press and author of Rommel and the Rebel and Let the Band Play Dixie, Oxford, MS.
“Come and Listen to My Story — The Melodic Narrative in American Country Music, by Tricia Walker, director, Delta Music Institute, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS., and Davis Raines, singer/songwriter, Nashville, TN.
“Old Tombigbee Storytelling” by Michael Mills, Oxford, MS., author, Twice Told Tombigbee Tales, short stories.
“After Medgar: No More Fear” by Frank X Walker, University of Kentucky, Lexington, co-chair, Africana Studies, editor of PLUCK! , founder of Affilachian Poets and author of Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York and other works.
Topics and speakers on Feb. 25 include:
“Richard Wright’s Spinning of Tales” by Jerry W. Ward Jr., Dillard University, New Orleans, author of numerous books.
“Traveling through ‘Dixie’ with ‘Zeus’” by Curtis Wilkie, Oxford, MS., and New Orleans, author of Dixie: A Personal Odyssey through Events that Shaped the Modern South and The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America’s Most Powerful Trial Lawyer.
“My Love Affair with Food” by Marcelle Bienvenue, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, and author of Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?
“Oral History: Listening to Our Past” by Charles C. “Chuck” Bolton, UNC, Greensboro.
“Man Against Nature: Up Close and Personal with the Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011,” a panel discussion.
“Chewing the Fat” by Julia Reed, New Orleans, author of Queen of the Turtle Derby, The House on First Street, and Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties and Roy Blount Jr., Mill River, MA., commentator on National Public Radio and author of Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor.
On Feb. 26, a two-hour oral history workshop will be presented by Louis Kyriakoudes, director, the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage, University of Southern Mississippi.
In addition to speakers, the program includes award ceremonies. Winning the Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award are Patti Carr Black, Jackson, MS., and John D. W. Guice, Laurel, MS. Both have written extensively.
Winning the Horton Foote Award for Special Achievement in Screenwriting is Scott Cooper, Los Angeles, writer, director and producer of the award-winning 2009 film, Crazy Heart, and writer and producer of For Sale by Owner.
Winning the Thad Cochran Humanities Achievement Award for her lifetime of work in history and literature is Alferdteen Harrison, professor of history emeritus, Jackson (MS) State University.
A pre-conference, three-hour film is Tell About the South: Voices in Black and White will be screened Feb. 23. Concluding film on Feb. 26 is Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart.
Rounding out the agenda are a children’s writing project, a luncheon with live music, a reception at the African-American Museum and a gala benefit party.
The NLCC is free of charge except for the luncheon, the reception and the benefit party. Information and tickets are available at http://www.colin.edu/nlcc, by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or by calling (866) 296-6522 or (601) 446-1289.
Various sites, Natchez, MS
No cost for programs funded by the Mississippi Humanities Council
Sponsored by Copiah-Lincoln Community College with support from the Mississippi Humanities Council
For more information:
Carolyn Vance Smith, 601-446-1208